Secrets Hidden in the Night
by Shesasa
Summary: In the mist of the night, Claire heard the crackling of fire as she stared off dreamily. Suddenly her door swung open and a shadowy figure walked in. She stood up in surprise, and a dark seductive laugh filled her house. may be rated M later on
1. Excitement?

**The number below is just a bunch of made up numbers so please don't call it.**

**This story starts off when Claire before she moves to Mineral town. This chapter might be kind of boring but it'll get better.**

**Be honest with what you think.**

**Thank you all!**

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**Chapter 1: Excitement....?**

The lights flicked on in a small, shabby apartment. A young woman closed the door behind her as she looked around the apartment.

"I'm home…." With a sigh, she threw the bag she had been holding on the little bed in the corner.

"_I live by myself, so of course there is no reply…" _She got a bag of potato chips and sat at her little table in front of her TV. From under her arm she grabbed a news paper and spread it out on the table.

"_Maybe I can find SOMETHING interesting, something….something exciting, going on in the world…"_ she sighed again and started flipping through the pages. A add caught her eye and she read it quickly.

Would you like to enjoy a peaceful and refreshing farm life?

For more info, contact:

445-6790

_"A farm…hmmm…." _The young woman began imagining beautiful scenery and the excitement of owning her own farm. She jumped out of her chair, spilling her chips, and slammed her fist on the table. She quickly grabbed her hand as a tear formed in the corner of her eye. Winching she smiled.

"This is it! Something exciting!" She ran over to her phone and dialed the number. The sound of the buttons as she pushed them just filled her heart with anticipation. Who know what could lie ahead for her. The phone rang and a cheery voice answered.

"Hello, is this MT Realtor? I'm calling about the farm…" the girl nodded her head as she got all the information she needed from the person on the other end. As soon as she hung up the phone she jumped up on her bed and let out a gleeful scream.

"FINALLY!"

A few days later…

The girl had gotten all her important things packed and jumped on the first bus she could. She fell asleep on the long ride as the tranquil scenery around willed her heart to know this was a good idea. The bus dropped her off just outside of a town. She looked around, uncertain about where to go. A sign next to her pointed in two directions, one leading to the west said 'Mineral Town' the one going north had a name scratched out and just said "….Farm".

Thinking this was the way she was meant to go, she ran up the dirt path and into a large farm. Looking around disappointment crossed her face. The field was in disgrace and the buildings were rundown, but still sturdy and manageable looking. When she got to a tiny little house she looked back at the field behind her.

"_Someone please tell me they have two farms for sale here…" _Behind her, she heard little footsteps squishing in the grass.

"Hello. Are you a tourist?" Another cheery voice said. She quickly turned around and studied the man she was looking at. He was short and had a large red top hat that made them the same height. His brown hair was thin but curled on the sides and he had a large mustache. His red suite caught her attention quickly. Realizing what he had asked, she shook her head no and looked over the field again. When she looked back at the little man she tried to explain what had happened.

"MT Realtor told you that you can live a refreshing life on the farm? So you're the new farmer?" His eyebrow rose as he looked at her. When she nodded slowly the man shook his head and started to laugh. "My dear, you've been tricked! It used to be a gorgeous farm, but not any more since the owner passed away. As you can see, no one's been taking care of it."

The girl looked around the field again and then turned to the man. "_You've got to be kidding me…"_

"Not many people want to work on the farm now. So they decided to make the advertisement sound more attractive. Every now and then, people who have seen the ad come here. Just like yourself. But as soon as they see the farm, they get disappointed and leave. Just like that. It's been a while since the last one came, though…. I see. You believed that cheesy advertisement." The man bellowed with laughter again. Unable to keep her temper, the girl took a hammer out of her bag and swung with a furry at the man. She hid him in the head, smashing his top hat a little.

"Ow ow ow…ouch. Okay, okay, sorry. Please stop hitting me!" The girl considered it. Should she leave him be, after all he was just joke and didn't mean to make her feel bad. Or should she keep attacking, after all they shouldn't fool people like that. She decided that he needed to learn a lesion at least once more –and she needed to relieve some stress- so she got out her watering can and doused him with water. The water was ice cold and the small man shivered.

"I-I'm s-s-s-so s-s-s-sorry… s-s-s-stop watering me…" he shuddered from the cold water and this made the girl feel proud and cruel at the same time. She took a cloth from her pocket and whipped the water off his face. He smiled at her and nodded a thank you. She tried to explain why she was so upset.

"…I see. You quit your job and moved out of your apartment…. That's too bad…. Hey, why don't you just try and run the farm? The house is livable, and actually pretty nice. If you work hard, I think you'll be happy here. As the mayor of this town, I will help you as much as I can." The girl was a little taken back but she considered it. After all where did she have to go? She had nothing to return to.

"I'll do it, it still sounds like fun. And anything _has_ to be better than the city…." She smiled at him and the two shook on it.

"I'm glad you'd like to stay! Let me first welcome you full heartedly to Mineral Town. I'm Thomas, the mayor, though I already told you that. And what is your name?" The girl smiled.

"I'm Claire, and I'm glad to be here. I'll make this farm the best farm in the world!" She proclaimed. The mayor chuckled and nodded in agreement.

"Well I'm going to go file the papers for the farm and tell everyone about our new Mineral Town citizen!" With that, Thomas ran off. Claire laughed and looked around her farm again

"_I can do this. If I could get through life this far, I can do it here in this peaceful little town…"_

She thought about what was ahead for her. First she would have to clear off some of this field. She was pulled from her thinking by the yapping of a little pup at her feet.

"Well hello little guy. Do you live here?" The dog barked happily in reply. "Well then, it looks like we'll be sharing this land from now on." Jumping on its hind legs, the pup pawed her pants and wagged its tail. Claire laughed again and took one last look around her. The sun was setting and it was time to get some rest. She had a long day ahead of her.

So she turned into the little house and smiled when she saw there was some furniture there. A small kitchen with just an oven and frying pan and a few spices was in the left hand side. To her right was a little bed just bigger than her old one. A small TV was against the back wall, but she didn't mind because she doubted he would have time to watch it. An old, comfy looking couch with a table that looked handmade faced the TV. In the corner by a book case and a dresser was a rocking chair. This made Claire's heart melt because it reminded her of her late grandmother. Right then and there she knew that was her chair. Behind the kitchen was a table just big enough for two people. Besides the TV was a door. When she walked inside, she found it to be a bathroom.

"_This place looks smaller on the outside…."_ She shrugged and got undressed. Taking a long bath, she wondered if this was the right choice for her. _"I haven't a choice now…"_

She sighed and submerged herself in water. After being in for about an hour, she got out and took a towel out of her bag. Drying herself off, she took a nightgown from her bag and got dressed. The gown stopped above her knee and was a light blue. She left the bathroom, blowing out a candle on the bedstead, and laid in the bed. The little pup tried to jump up and get on the bed next to her. She laughed and picked it up. The two fell asleep quickly.

The next morning.

With a yawn and a stretch, Claire looked around her.

"_Where am I?"_ She looked down toward her feet and saw a little puppy lying on its back. Looking down at her hands she tried to think. In a flash, everything started coming back to her. She remembered the ad, and coming to Mineral Town. She remembered being disappointed with the farm but still accepting to work here.

Shaking her head, she slipped out of bed and walked toward the kitchen. Taking a dusty cup from a bottom cabinet, she cleaned it in the sink and to herself a drink. Leaning against the kitchen counter, she looked out a small window into the sleepy morning. She listened, waiting to hear the crow of a rooster, but remembered no animals lived on her farm yet.

"_Well we'll just have to change that…"_She thought to herself. When she was done with her drink, she put the cup in the sink and went into the bathroom. She opened her bag and took out a pair of jeans and a black t-shirt. Her good cloths were being mailed to her, so she had to do with this for the day. She brushed her long blonde hair out and tied the end with a ribbon. When she walked out, the puppy was up and barking at the front door. A soft knock came from the door, making Claire jump a little. Apparently she wasn't use to her new house yet. She opened the door a little, just enough for the puppy to run outside. A short shadow fell against her door and she smiled, knowing that it was only Thomas. She opened the door all the way and stepped outside.

"Hello Claire, did you sleep well?"

"Yes, thank you for asking."

"Of course. Well I'm here to explain farming a little bit…or do you already know?" Claire thought back to her summers on her grandmother and grandfathers farm.

"I know some, I think I'll be fine." Thomas seemed to frown, but he nodded and tipped his hat to her.

"Well then, have a good time. And don't forget to introduce yourself to everyone around Mineral Town!" He waved farewell and left the farm. Claire shook her head after him and went back inside. It was early yet, but she didn't know if she should get up and start clearing that field or what. Then another nock, only this one heavier, rapped against her door. This time she jumped a bit. Nervous, she went toward the door. She opened it and peered outside. A tall, well build man with short chopped hair and a thin mustache stood before her. He was carrying a large trunk that she recognized. She opened the door and looked up at the large man.

"The names Zack, I'm in charge of shipping for Mineral Town, and I got a package for you here." He lifted the trunk a little and she nodded to him.

"Thank you for delivering that to me. If you could be so kind, just leave it here by the door and I'll bring it in myself." She smiled sweetly at him and he nodded, putting the heavy looking trunk down next to her.

"Ok well come here, I'll show you how to ship things to be sold." She nodded and locked her door behind her. She followed him over to a large crate a little bit away from her house. He stopped there and she stood next to him looking at it.

"This is your Shipping Bin. Put things you want to sell here, and I'll come pick them up by 5 pm every day. I'll also pay you money when I do. I don't work on holidays, though! Hah I need a break once in a while, too!" Claire giggled at the large smile on Zack's face and nodded that she understood. He seemed please so he continued.

"Okay…. You have two more shipping bins in your chicken coop and barn. You can ship anything you grow or find on the mountain. Or, of course, eggs, wool or milk from livestock. Work hard, but not too hard! If you start to feel dizzy, which means you're most likely going to collapse. If that happens, you'll be sent to the clinic, and you'll be out of commission for a while!" His face got a scary look to it as he stated the last part, making Claire step back a bit, but she nodded.

"Bye now. And remember: 5 pm every day!"

"Okay thank you!" She waved him off as he rushed away from her farm.

"_I guess I should spend my day meeting some other people…wont this be fun…"_


	2. The Touch in the Rain

**I've no idea who Claire will be with yet, but we'll find out soon.**

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**Chapter 2: The Touch of Rain**

Claire ran inside and grabbed her bag. She checked her watched and saw that it was about 7:30. Surprised that so little time had passed, she decided to work in her fields for a little while and get ready for her seeds she was going to buy. After working for about an hour, she finally had enough land cleared and tilled for two bags of seeds. She remembered from when she would visit her grandparents, on their retirement farm, that in one bag of seed is enough room for nine tilled places of seed.

"_I'll have to get this watering can upgraded if I want to use all nine tilled areas."_

She wiped the sweat from her brow and turned to go into the city. Her eye caught the trunk she had forgotten about. Hurrying before she left to meet the citizens, she picked up the heavy trunk and staggered into her home. Thankfully, she was a little stronger than she looked. She laid it next to her bed and left. Following the path that Thomas and Zack had used earlier, she walked toward, what she thought must be, the middle of Mineral Town. She came to a cross roads and saw a few buildings to her right, and a bustling area ahead of her. She decided to go to her left and meet these people first.

As she walked down the road, she saw that the first two building, a poultry farm and a blacksmiths, were closed and no one was out. So she walked farther down and ran into a smiling old man. Timidly she waved to him and he stopped and smiled even more brightly.

"Oh, you're Claire everyone is talking about. May name is Barley. Nice to meet you. I own the dairy farm, so once you're ready to get some cows or sheep, come see me and I'll help you out! But I visit the mayor on Mondays so we're not open." A bit studded with his friendliness, Clare nodded and bowed.

"I'm sure I'll be visiting you. It was very nice to meet you, Mr. Barley." She bowed again and he chuckled.

"Just Barley please. See you soon." He scurried off down another path farther down the road. She watched him and shook her head.

"_If everyone is so friendly and talkative I think I'll stick to my farm for a while…"_

Being very timid and not a close people person, Claire wondered if this was a very good idea. Someone tapped her on the shoulder, tearing her from her thoughts. She looked up at a young man in a blue uniform that somewhat resembled a police uniform.

"Hello, there! You must be Claire. My name is Harris. I'm the constable of this town. It's very peaceful here, so just enjoy your life!" She took another look at him and her mouth dropped.

"Are you related to Thomas?" He smiled and chuckled.

"Yes ma'am, I am. He's my father."

"Oh wow that's weird…." She couldn't believe Thomas had a son so tall. He laughed as if he knew what she was thinking. Tipping his hat to her, he left and turned onto Barley's ranch.

Shaking her head, she followed Barley's path, deciding to look at the other places and return here on her way home. She entered town square and looked around. Everything was rather peaceful so she sat in the corner and decided to stay there for a few minutes. A leaf fell on her head and she grabbed in and examined it. She heard footsteps coming toward her, but she ignored it.

"Hey, what are you doing? Are you ok?" a low voice echoed in her ears, making her eyes flutter as she lost all of her thoughts. Regaining them, she looked up at the tall boy covered in a light, tan brown outfit with a strange blue hat that said Uma. She looked at him and then finally figured out what he said.

"Oh! I'm fine, just bored." She stood up quickly and brushed out her long, blonde hair. Out of the corner of her eye she could see the boy following the flow of her hair in the light breeze. Shaking his head a little, he hid under his hat.

"Oh…ok..well bye." He started to leave the square. She shrugged and started walking in the opposite direction. He stopped and turned around. Looking back at her, he wondered why she had just walked away. Most people around there would have called after him, but she didn't seem like most of them.

"I don't think I've seen you around here before," he called after her. She stopped and looked over her shoulder at him. Turning around, she slowly walked up to him.

"I don't think you would have, I just moved here yesterday."

"Oh, you're at the farm, are you? Welcome to the boonies." Her eyebrow spiked when she heard the word boonies.

"_Wow…I thought I was the only one weird enough to walk around saying that…." _She stifled a laugh and held out her hand.

"My name's Claire." He looked at her hand, then her and grabbed it, a smirk crossing his face.

"The name's Gray." They shook and both shyly smiled. When they let go of each other's hand, they just looked at each other a moment.

"Well I have to go meet everyone in the town, I guess…. And you looked like you were going somewhere fast." He jumped at her words and hit himself in the forehead.

"Damn it! I have to run, see you around!" He ran from the square as fast as lightning and Claire couldn't help but laugh. Gripping her sides from laughing, she started the opposite way. She found herself at another cross road and decided to go forward. She didn't know why, but she started to run and ended up bumping into someone. The person was well built, because when she hit them, she ended up falling back in a daze and they just looked confused.

"Um…..are you…ok?" She looked up at him and smiled. He had long brown hair and was covered in what seemed like furs. The look on his face showed he was really sorry. She nodded to his question and jumped up.

"Sorry about that! I guess I should watch where I'm going, ha-ha." She joked around and he smiled timidly. Wiping the dust from her pants, she shook her head and laughed herself.

"Anyway, hi." She smiled at him and hopped she hadn't made him mad by running into him.

"……Hi……" Frowning a bit at his shyness she decided to start up a conversation, even if she was bad at it.

"Um well, yeah. I just moved here yesterday and I'm going around town introducing myself to everyone." He nodded and smiled brightly at her.

"…You moved into that farm? I see…"

"Yep. I'm Claire, by the way. What's yours?"

"My name? It's Cliff. Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too, Cliff. Any ideas as to wear I should go next?"

"Well, I'm headed to the Church…..you can come if you want…." She smiled and nodded. So in silence, the two walked up the road to the large church. Not a very churchly person herself, Claire wasn't very sure if she should be there, but she went in with Cliff anyway. Cliff walked her right up to a man standing behind the podium.

"Hi. You must be Claire. Thomas told me about you. My name is Carter. I'm delighted to finally meet you." Claire bowed.

"Yes that's me. I'm glad to meet you too."

She chatted with Cliff and Carter for a while until she looked at her watch and saw it was nearly twelve. Jumping out of her seat, she waved the two goodbye and ran out of the church. She saw too buildings just down the road and decided to go see what they were.

Entering the first building, she saw a man sitting at a desk in the back. She quickly realized this was a doctor's office and decided it would be a good idea to go meet the doctor. He didn't see her as she walked up to his desk so she tapped the paper he was looking at lightly.

"Huh? I haven't seen you yet, have I?"

"No, you haven't."

"Well, are you new to this town?"

"Yes, seeing as I just moved here yesterday."

"Oh, you're the one who took over that farm. I heard about you from my patients. I'm Doctor, and as you can tell, I'm a doctor. Come to see me right away when you don't feel well." His suddenly found excitement made Claire want to back up a bit. She liked the quieter, non-jumping out of their seat type of people.

"I will." Was her only reply. Seeming content with her answer, he started off again.

"Everyone in this town is pretty healthy. There are many unhealthy people in big cities, you know. It must be the nature. I'm studying every day. There is no end to the world of medicine. So many challenges. How about you? Farming must be hard. You're a female too. Take care of yourself. Elli and I are here for you if you have any problems, okay?" Claire wanted to rip him a new one for looking down on her for being a female. She hated being looked down upon for just her gender. Taking deep breaths, she calmed herself and realized he was right. The way she was right now she didn't have much stamina so she did have to watch it.

"I will. Thank you." He smiled softly at her and nodded.

"By the way, Claire. There is a special tonic I got from another town. You can energize and recover from fatigue at the same time. It's not as effective as the medicine I got here, so I don't sell it, but…I made some improvements, so it should work. It's bitter, though." Not understanding what he was getting at, at first she just nodded along with him. Then she understood he was asking her to try it.

"o…okay."

"Right! I knew you'd try it. Go ahead, bottoms up." He handed her a drink the color of acid and she gulped. Looking at his hopeful face to the liquid she sighed and started to guzzle it down. It tasted horrid and she had to cover her mouth before she threw it up.

"It wasn't good…? But it works, right?" She thought about it, and she did feel less tired and more energized than before.

"Yeah it works." He smiled and seemed overjoyed.

"I knew you'd understand the quality of this tonic. One more?" Her eyes grew wide in terror and she shook her head violently.

"I'm kidding. Don't rely on medicine, okay?" He said, looking a bit disappointed at her reply. "It was fun to talk to you today, Claire. You helped me out too." She nodded and waved goodbye. Without going to meet the nurse, she ran outside before she had to try another tonic.

Sighing in relief, she went into the next building reluctantly. She was happy to find it was just the supermarket. She hurried and bought her seeds and some groceries, spending the little money she had left, and started back toward her farm before she even met anyone else. She had had enough of people for the day.

On her way home, she got to the cross roads that she had met Barley on. She decided she ought to finish meeting people here. She walked over to the farm that had a lot of chickens outside it.

She walked inside and saw three people, a boy with blondish brown hair, a bright girl with fluffy pink hair and a woman with pink hair tied back in low pigtails.

"Wow, cool." The pink haired girl said.

"They laid many eggs today. Everyone's healthy! I made some Spa-Boiled Eggs, so let's eat them together," the boy said.

"Okay," the woman replied, beaming at the boy. Claire decided this was a good time to walk in, so she walked forward. They all turned around in surprise.

"Hey, I've never seen you before. Are you a tourist?"

"Nope, I just moved in yesterday. I'm your guises new neighbor."

"Oh, I see. You're the new owner of the farm. I'm Rick. Nice to meet you."

"I'm Popuri. Nice to meet you."

"Hi, I'm Lillia. Nice to meet you." Claire couldn't help but smile.

"I'm Claire, nice to meet you all as well."

"Oh, hey, do you like eggs?"

"LOVE them, are you kidding!" She laughed and smiled.

"I knew it! Wait right there." Rick scrambled with something behind them and then walked over to her. "Here, it's a Spa-Boiled Egg." He handed it to her.

"Oh wow, thanks!" She suddenly remembered she hadn't eaten yet that day.

"Good luck with your farm!"

"Thanks. Well, see you around!" She left, casually putting the egg in her bag with her groceries.

Next she decided to go to the blacksmiths on her way home. She wanted to know how much an upgrade on her watering can would be anyway. When she walked in, she was surprised to see Gray standing in front of the counter, looking angry with the old man behind it.

"_I wonder if the man messed up Gray's tool…?"_

"What!? Explain to me what's wrong with it! Come on!" Claire was a bit surprised that the Gray she met earlier had such a temper, but she did to so she wasn't judging.

"What's wrong with it!? The answer is inside of you! You have much to learn!" the old man replied. Claire just shook her head. Now she had to know what was going on. She walked out of the door way and toward the two. Gray was surprised to see her, jumping when he heard footsteps behind him.

"What are you looking at!? If you have nothing…"

"Gray! How dare you talk to a customer like that!" The old man's face was haunting looking as he yelled at Gary.

"So…sorry."

"Welcome."

"Oh, Claire. …How are you doing?" Claire just looked at him dumbfounded. She knew that was how she acted too, but she never saw someone else act so clueless before.

"Uh, fine I guess."

"Sorry for earlier." His eyes shined with true sorrow and embarrassment. Grabbing the tip of his hat, he tried to hide his face.

"I didn't mean to be rude… My grandfather was giving me a hard time. He never approves of any of my work." She finally figured out why he was here. Looking over his shoulder at the old man, she couldn't believe they were related. Then again, they both had the same anger.

"I'm ready to quit. I feel stupid, you know?" Claire couldn't believe her ears. She might have just met Gray, but she didn't think he was a quitter.

"Gary, it's called TRAINING for a reason!"

"…You're right. I'm such a wimp. Sorry for complaining so much…"

"_Damn it! How the hell did this girl get me to spill everything on my mind to her?"_

"Don't worry about it. Just don't you go quitting! We might've just met, but you don't look like a quitter to me." He looked at her and smirked, hiding under his hat again.

"Thanks, Claire. I don't get what my grandfather is saying now, but I think the time will come. I just have to keep trying."

"Good man! Keep up the good work because you know I'm going to have to come to you guys for work soon!"

"Heh…yeah, well gotta go back."

"Ok, I should go plant the seeds I bought. See you around Gray."

"Seeya." He walked away and started getting something out in the back. Deciding to meet Gray's grandfather another day, she left the blacksmith and headed home. She quickly put her groceries away, eating the egg that Rick had given her, and went outside to start working. It took her a while to plant and water all of the seeds. Looking at her watch, it was 4:50. She jumped when she realized Zack would be there soon for something to ship. Not knowing what to do, she looked around and saw a honey tree a little ways away. She ran over to it and gathered the honey. Leaving it in the shipping bin, she started clearing her fields again.

"Claire, how's it going?!" She head Zack's voice echoed over to her at the edge of her field. Looking up, she waved.

"Hi, Zack!" She jogged over to him, putting her work gloves in her pockets.

"Looks like you didn't ship much, what did you do all day?"

"Ha-ha, sorry about that. I went around a met a few people, oh and bought some seeds too."

"Well that's good news! I expect some big shipping from you!" They both laughed and she nodded.

"Damn, look at the time. I have to go finish my rounds. See you tomorrow, Claire." She waved him off and decided to call it a day on her fields. Just as she was about to open her door and go inside, a light breeze blew past her. She looked up, seeing the top of a large mountain, and decided there was enough time in the day to go for a short hike.

Running in to leave her tools home, Claire brushed her hair back and put it up in a high ponytail. She set off, locking her house and saying goodbye to her pup, toward the area she had first entered her farm the day before. The forest was beautiful and vibrant with animals and plants. She gathered a few herbs that she could sell tomorrow. It didn't take her long to find a path, and she followed it.

She had never hiked up a mountain before, or at least one that wasn't paved, so she didn't realize how hard it was going to be. Looking at how high the mountain was, and how she had only just started and was tired, she thought about going back. She shook her head and started climbing again, bracing her feet against sturdy rocks and her hands out stretched to grab something if she fell.

"_Like hell I'm turning back now."_

She was almost half way, a few cuts and scrapes on her arms and leg, when she looked up at the sky and a drop of rain fell on her face making her look like a tear was streaming from her eye. That was the only warning as it began to pour. She cursed under her breath and decided it was a flash storm, so going up to the top would be ok, it wasn't that far anyway. Starting off again, she grunted in distress as it quickly got harder to move. So she tried to go down, but her foot slipped and she almost fell. The path was steep, and falling could lead to dangerous outcomes.

She climbed backup, getting her foot dug into the now muddy ground. Looking around, she tried to figure out what to do. She couldn't stay there, but going down wasn't working and neither was going up.

"_Damn it. Why do I have to be so stubborn all the time!?"_

Cursing herself in her head, she didn't notice the crack of lightning that struck a higher up tree. One of the large branches started rolling toward her, and it was too lat when she finally noticed it. The branch hit her head, and then rolled over her chest. She began to tumble wildly down the mountain side. Instead of going straight down, though, she started going toward the side, a side that lead to a cliff. She screamed out just before she began to pass out. Her body continued to roll, getting cut up and bruised, until she fell limp on a small, flat edge of the mountain. With the little consciousness she had left, she saw the tree branch fall on top of her, making her hit her head on a sharp rock and pass out as blood dripped off the edge of the mountain.

The rain continued heavily as the sounds of a man grunting as he climbed echoed along with the thunder. His shadowed figure looked over the edge, as if looking for something. When seeing Claire, he slid skillfully down the side of the mountain and landed in front of her. He groaned as he pushed the large branch off of her, watching it fall and shatter down the cliff. The shadowed figure look down at her, his face dark from the black cast of the lightning.

Claire opened her eyes a little bit, regaining a little consciousness. She saw a figure of a man above her.

"You with me?" the figure said, Claire's body flinched. She knew that voice, but from where? The figure bent over her, grabbing her arm and pulling her up, his other hand wrapping around her waist. Her body ignited under his touch, but the sensation was too much for her right now, and she passed out again, falling limp against the man. The rain grew worse, the winds howling as if angered. Lightning filled the sky, falling to the trees and making a few leaves ignite in flames for a moment before the rain killed them again. Thunder pounded so loudly that the shadowy figure's ears rang. He wrapped her arm around his neck and held her back. Then he grabbed her legs and started looking for a way down. Slowly, he began sliding down the mountain, stopping to regain his footing or his grip on Claire.


	3. Memories in the Dust

_**Sorry that this took so long guys! I was in the hospital for a while and didn't get to finish it! The next chapter things really start to get heated up, hope you'll all keep reading!**_

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_**Chapter 3: Memories in the Dust**_

_Dark nothings surrounded Claire as her sight began to blur. She look up, trying to see light, but all she saw was dark. Her body was soaked; she could feel every part of her shivering in the cold. Water dripped down her face as if she was crying out. She looked again, wanting to see something, anything. This time a figure looked down at her, its outline a dark silhouette against a flashing sky. A warm hand wiped the water from her face, making her body shiver in reply. A low rumble came from above her. From the man or the sky she couldn't figure out._

_She could hear the figure breathing heavy. Its shoulders rose and fell quickly. Suddenly, she noticed the figure was getting closer to her. Her breath caught as her heart began to beat wildly in her chest. She felt a warm, heavy hand on her waist. Without control, she arched her back. The figure came so close to her that she could feel his breath on her skin. It ignited her, sending shivers down her spine._

Claire awoke with a jolt. Her eyes flew open and she looked around frantically. Hoping to see the figure, her heart was beating a mile a minute. She sighed when the figure was nowhere to be found. Looking down toward the end of her bed, she shook her head. Yet again she had awoken with all of her blankets thrown from the bed and her hand tenderly pulling up her night gown, her fingers straining down her stomach, aching for her lower body.

"_This is the fifth time this week! That damn dream is going to do me in…"_ It had been a week since Claire's accident on the cliff. Looking back on it she couldn't help but shake her head. She had been so stubborn with herself that she wouldn't turn back when she could. But now, she somewhat didn't complain. The memory of that man, that shadowy figure, burned into her memory made her moan softly. Something about that man, it sent chills down her spine, delicious chills. She could remember the few moments of his touch, but nothing more.

After that, all she remembered was waking up in the Clinic, Doctor looking over her. She groaned, hating the memory of being there.

Doctor was frantic, as soon as he saw her wake up he started checking her pulse and her eyes, asking her questions that she didn't understand. Ellie, who she then met as the nurse, came in to hush him. Once he had calmed down, and Claire had actually woken up better, Doctor began to explain.

"There was a frantic knocking on the Clinic door last night and as I and Ellie were getting ready to shut down the Clinic for the day. When we opened the door we saw you laying there on our doorstep. It was odd to see you like that! We hurried you inside and you've been here for 13 hours!"

Claire couldn't believe it. When she told them what happened, Doctor got furious with her. He yelled saying that she couldn't work for at least a week and a half. She didn't' know what to do. She had just planted her crops, how was she going to take care of them. Doctor said that she would have to let them die or find someone to work for her. Ellie was kind enough, understanding that Claire would be upset about her farm, and decided to walk her home. It was about 1:40pm when they walked toward Claire's farm. When they passed the crossroads that lead to the blacksmith's and the other farms, voices could be heard coming toward them. It ended up being Cliff and Gray, walking out of the blacksmiths, arguing about someone named Ann. When they saw Claire, Cliff waved shyly, and Gray hid his face under his cap.

Claire, feeling faint, leaned against Ellie as she explained what happened to the two boys. They looked at her in shock. Questioning her, she laughed as the two got angry. Gray yelled at her, telling her she was carless and Cliff just seemed disappointed in her. Ellie told the two how she couldn't work on her farm and how she needed to rest. Gray and Cliff both offered to help her. Before she could tell them no, Ellie agreed and thanked them for her. Claire got mad. She was not very good at taking peoples help. She hated being dependent on people, it just wasn't her way.

Before she could argue with them, Ellie pushed her down the road and back to her farm. She shook her head and said goodbye to Ellie, she was too tired to argue any more. When Ellie left, Claire went to sleep. That was the first time she had dreamed of the figure. When she had awaked, the next morning, she was panting. She cursed herself and left her house. She went to work on her plants when Cliff appeared. He frowned and grabbed her wrist, making her jump away. She got in big troubled with Cliff and Gray that day. So, instead of fighting it she gave in and found something else to do. For a week she had been cleaning her dusty house, getting the furniture the way she liked.

Gray saw how upset she was, cooked up in side all day, and felt a little bad. So a few days ago, after he finished working on her fields, he knocked on her door. Grumbling slightly, she opened it for him. He had his shy smile on and tilted his hat over his face.

"Claire…uh how 'bout I get you out of this house?" Her eyes widened and she clapped her hands together.

"Yes please!" Gray chuckled and turned away slightly.

"Then come on. You should meet some of the other girls anyway." Claire's face cringed at that. She and girls didn't get along well, but she needed to get out of that house so she followed him. He led her to the inn, a place she'd never been in before. Meeting everyone had bothered her at first, but she started to get use to the people, laughing at joking around her. So from then on, she went to the bar every night.

Her mind jumping back to reality, Claire forced herself out of bed. She could have stayed in bed all day until seven with no complaints from anyone but her, but that was not happening. Walking over to her dresser, she smiled when she saw all her cloths still put away. It had taken her forever to short and throw out some of her cloths, and she started to think it was a dream. Grabbing a red t-shirt, black shorts, a bra and a pair of panties, she didn't see any reason to get dressed in her farm clothes yet. She walked over to her bath room and stretched as she entered.

Smiling at her hard work, she saw the bathroom cleaned and polished, towels hanging on the rack and shampoo on a shelve in the shower. She striped, putting her short blue night gown in the clothes bin. The water was cold on her skin when she first walked under the shower head. Her body shivered as it woke from its own slumber. She groaned, pleased when the warm water started to kick in. She turned around and gathered her hair, letting the warm water burn against her skin. Shivering as the water trickled down her body; she took her body wash and started rubbing it over her legs. Then she cleaned over her stomach and finally she rubbed her body wash over her chest, massaging her breasts she let out a soft moan from the back of her throat.

She let the body wash rinse away from her skin as she took out her shampoo. It was new, and it smelled too flowery to her, but she really needed to wash her hair. Massaging the shampoo into her straw dry hair, she sighed, feeling relieved. She spent a long time washing and rinsing her hair out, so long that she didn't realize she was starting to shrivel until she could hear Gray and Cliff walking onto her farm.

"Shit! I've been in here for an hour and a half!" she quickly scrambled to get the water shut off and get out of the shower. Almost falling out of the marble tub, she grabbed the wall, sliding down to the cold, slick tiled floor.

She started to panic a bit as she stood up.

Over the past week she had gotten pretty close to Gray and Cliff, they were good friends of hers now. So good that she had told them they could enter her house when ever. So good they knew where the spare key was.

Rushing around, she looked franticly for her cloths. She dried, quickly, with a towel and got her red lace panties and her matching bra. This wasn't going to help her much if one of them accidently walked into the bathroom, seeing as both were somewhat see though, but it wouldn't be as bad. Slipping her shorts up her long legs, she smiled at the feeling of the smooth cloth across her legs. Waking up from her zoning out, she got her shirt on and started drying her hair. She looked in the mirror, laughing at how her hair looked.

She looked horrible, and liked it. Brushing through her hair, she heard her door unlatch. She laughed, knowing they would be in sooner or later. Finishing brushing her hair, she bent forward to flip it back. Just then the door opened and as she flipped her hair back, she hit Gray in the face. His hat flew into the living room, leaving Cliff and Claire laughing.

"Oh man, I'm sorry Gray!" She didn't sound like it, since she was laughing her ass off, but he just smirked and leaned against the door posts, staring at her. His messy dirty blonde hair fell over his eyes, still giving him something to hide behind.

"Whatever, how 'bout you get out!" He laughed and so did she as she pushed past him. He smirked and closed the door, making a point to lock the door loudly. She stuck her tongue out at the door and Cliff snickered shyly in the kitchen. Walking over toward him, she noticed Gray's hat on the floor. She picked it up and put it on backwards, laughing as she met Cliff in the kitchen.

"How about I cook you guys something before you help me out?" Cliff smiled shyly as he sat at her kitchen table.

"Sure…..that'd be nice….thanks…." She smiled; she liked how shy he was, even if he wasn't as shy as he uses to be toward her. Shaking her head, she got out some eggs, rice and corn from the fridge. She cooked something earlier for herself almost every day and then the two would come in and she'd feed them, but this time she was cooking for them. Over the week she had found out that Gray loved baked corn, and she liked it to a point also. Cliff, though, seemed to like plane foods. She started baking the corn for Gray while boiling the rice and frying the egg for Cliff.

By the time the corn was done, Gray was sitting down across form Cliff. Claire took out a clean plate and put the corn on it, keeping it away from Gray with a smirk on her face. It wasn't long before the rice and egg was done also. She gathers the rice in a bowl and put the egg on top, adding a few spices. Carrying the food over to the boys, Gray gave her a playful glare.

"Hey, thieving bitch! Give me back my hat!" Claire laughed as she put the food on the table. Then, she tighten the hat on her head and hopped up on her counter.

"Uh, no." She smirked as Gray got up and went after her. She jumped down and ran away from him on the other side of her kitchen. Cliff just ate, shaking his head as he laughed his ass off. Gray corned Claire and jumped at her. Being small and quick, Claire ducked under his arm and ran over to the table, sitting in his chair and picking up his corn.

"Hey!" Gray just caught himself before he hit the wall. Walking back over to her, he grabbed his hat and his corn. "This –he waved the corn- is mine!" She jumped up and grabbed the hat, trying to tug it out of his hand.

"So I can have this?"

"No."

"Aw no fun." Claire smirked and let go of the hat. She got out of his chair and hopped back on her counter. Gray sat down and started eating the corn in large bites. Cliff laughed as he finished his food. He got up and put it in the sink.

"Thanks, Claire. That hit the spot." Gray nodded as he finished wolfing down his food.

"Yeah that was great! You're a good cook, Claire."

"Thanks. Come by whenever you guys want breakfast," she offered. Though she acted like she hated people, she really was happy to have some company every once and a while.

"We'll definitely take you up on that!" Gray said as he dropped his plate clumsily in the sink. This irked Claire a bit, but she didn't say anything.

"Ok, well let's get to work!" Claire said with a clap of her hands. Gray and Cliff nodded and the three of them went outside. They each had a job to do. Claire wasn't allowed to do real work, so she was left to gather the honey from the hive on her tree and clean out the chicken coop and barn because when she was better she wanted to buy a chicken or a cow. Cliff watered and tended to her crops while Gray, being strong from working at the blacksmiths, cleared her fields.

No matter how much she hated to say it, she was grateful that they were helping her. She would never have cleaned up her farm so quickly without them. They went on with their jobs throughout the day. Cliff helped Claire after he was done, and Gray had to leave to work at the blacksmiths in the afternoon. Come five o'clock they were done and Gray was back. They had two hours to kill before it was time to get back to the inn.

The three sat under Claire's tree eating apples.

A weird looking guy named Won had stopped by earlier, asking her if she wanted to buy some apples. She said sure but had to haggle the price down. Won left a bit annoyed and yet admiration shined in his eyes. She figured she'd be hearing from him again. Right after Won left, Gray came strolling onto the farm. He helped Cliff clear the fields a bit more as Claire finished cleaning out the chicken coop. They all met under her tree, each of them exhausted.

"Well that was a good day of work!" Claire said as she took another bite of her apple. Cliff nodded as he lay down and looked up at the darkening sky.

"Hey…maybe you shouldn't have worked so hard today, I mean you're supposed to rest...." Gray gave her a worried glance but she just smiled and shook her head.

"I'm fine, just gotta catch my breath before I have to get Karen to keep her shirt on!" The three of them laughed, knowing that Karen was going to come over for a drink tonight and that was going to end in some interesting antics. Before Gray could start complaining again, Zack bellowed over to them.

"Hey guys! I've left the money in your mail box Claire!"

"Thanks Zack!"

"Not a problem. The fields looking good! Well, see you around." Claire smiled as she saw Cliff and Gray's faces light up with pride. She knew they were happy that they could make Claire's farm looked better while she was hurt. The three got up and Claire walked over to her mail box. There wasn't much in there, just fifty dollars from the honey. She took the money and pocketed ten dollars. She held out the last two twenties. They went through this every day, so she was ready for one of them to yell at her.

"Claire! How many times to we have to tell you to keep your money!"

"How many times to I have to tell you that you two deserve this money!?" Gray was always the one that augured with her. She knew Cliff didn't want the money either, but he just wouldn't yell. He kept his feelings inside, kind of like she did around most people. But it was him that made her saddest when he wouldn't take the money. She knew he needed it since he didn't have a job.

"Claire, you can't work on your farm so without this you'll have no money!" When he started worrying about her it just set her off.

"Listen here, Gray! I can do just fine so don't you worry! Why do you even care!? I only moved here a week and a half ago and you're worrying about me like we've been friends for years!" This was her infamous line over the past week and every time she said it, Gray was struck silent. He lowered his head, hiding his face beneath his hat.

Claire felt really bad, but it was true. She was glad Cliff and Gray were her friends, but she just wasn't used to people caring about her like that. Looking at Cliff from the corner of her eye, she saw his head was bent too. She'd hurt both of them. Just like she hurt everyone.

"_Moving here was a bad idea… the people are too nice to be around me…."_

"Look I'm-"

"We might have only known each other for a week or so, but we've spent almost every minute of those days together since you moved her, so we've gotten to know you a lot better than if we just saw each other once in a while. So deal with it Claire, you're keeping your money and that's that!" Gray glared at her, and she met his glare head on. She looked over to Cliff, then back at Gray and she sighed. They were right, getting to know each other so well changed things. Shaking her head, she pocketed the money.

"Fine, but drinks are on me tonight." Gray and Cliff exchanged pleased smiles.

"Deal!" they said in unison. The three of them laugh as Claire looked at her watch.

"Oh man look! It's like 6:45! We're be late oh no!" The three exchanged fake looks of worry and started running off Claire's farm. They laughed as Gray took the lead. Cliff wasn't very far behind him and Claire was just shaking her head, waiting to surprise them. Right before they turned the corner down the road to the inn, Claire ran like a bolt of lightning. She flew past them and was at the door before they knew what hit them.

"Claire! You're….not….suppose….to ….strain….yourself…." Cliff told her between panting. Claire laughed and ruffled his hair.

"Looks like you guys are the ones that over did it." She laughed and opened the door before they could come back with a smart remark.

When they walked in they saw Ann sitting behind the counter cleaning glasses while talking to Rick who was drinking some water. Ann's father wasn't around, so she was in charge of the bar for the night. A few of the tables had people sitting there, one had Duke, the wine maker, Saibara, Gray's grandfather, and Carter was there today. Walking over to Saibara, like she did ever night, Claire waved and sat at the set across from him. Just like everyday he grunted and took a long swig of his scotch before he looked at her. Cliff and Gray avoided this table and hurried over to the counter to order while they talked to Rick.

"What do you want today missy," Saibara grunted to her. She smiled and took a card box out of her pocket.

"Oh, same old same old of course. Let's see who wins tonight, gramps!" The old man laughed hoarsely and put his glass down. He sat up straight and looked intently at her.

"All right, little missy, let's see who gets the better hand. What's the stakes tonight?"

"Same as every night. You have to upgrade a tool for free or I have to give you a week worth of ore for free. So far you have to upgrade one tool and I got a week worth to give you, so how bout we do double or nothing?"

"Hah, I like your stuff girl, deal double or nothing it is." The two laughed as Claire expertly dealt the cards.

As the two started to play their usually game of poker, Gray took a gulp of the drink Ann had given him and started over to their table.

"At it again you two?"

"Yep!" Claire looked at Gray cheerfully, making him shake his head. He loved to watch them go at it. His grandfather had taken a liking to Claire in the past few days since they started playing poker together and Gray was glad to see Saibara had a nice side to at least someone. It made him hope for the best.

Claire threw down her cards and jumped up laughing.

"HAH! I win I win wooo!" She danced around making Gray and even Saibara laugh joyfully.

"Ay, that you do missy. You won far and square so that means two free upgrades done for you and no free ore for me. But don't think I won't buy ore off of you anyway ha ha ha!" Saibara chuckled and finished off his scotch.

"Thanks for the fun, gramps! Again tomorrow?"

"Can't come tomorrow I'm afraid, I've got the groceries to do tomorrow."

"I'll help you!" She smiled her bright smile that lit her eyes up like a gem.

"Oh no you won't! You're still supposed to stay in bed." She turned to Gary and pouted.

"Oh come on! It's so boring staying in bed all da-"

"oooOOOoo looook at mee evwry buddie!!!!" Karen, who had sneaked in somehow, climbed up onto the bar counter and started dancing. Everyone was laughing and cheering. Claire and Gary exchanged looks and ran for her. They go to the bar just as Karen was about to take off her white tank. They couldn't get her down so Claire climbed up on the bar and pushed her into Gary's arm.

"Woo! Go Claire, come on dance for us!!" Someone in the back, probably one of the older guys, shouted. Gary's face got red and he looked at her. She rolled her eyes and jumped off the bar counter. They sat Karen behind the bar with a glass of water in her hand.

"Ok, see you guys later! I'm done for the night."

"Night Claire!" The whole bar rang in unison.

"I'll walk you home." She turned to Gary and smiled.

"That's sweet of you but its ok. You sleep here anyway."

"Too bad, I'm walking you home." She pouted and he just laughed and grabbed her wrist and dragged her out of the bar. She laughed and pulled her wrist away.

"Fine fine! I'll walk with you. I know you get lonely all alone." She smiled and so did he. The truth was, everyone in the town was worried about her being alone. No one knew who that man that had found her was.

Or did they.


	4. Scent of Hatred

Claire awoke from the dream again. She's gotten more control over herself in the last week though. Now, when she wakes up, the only thing she still can't control is her heart. Something about that figure, that man, made her feel like she's run a mile to catch him, to find him. Somehow she wished she had. She looked at her ceiling and sighed. For the past three days she's been able to work without Cliff and Gary. That doesn't mean they don't come over everyday though. Clock strikes one, Gary's here. Cliff just shows up at random times.

She swung her legs up and jumped out of bed. She had on shorts and a tank, seeing as she just couldn't stand nightgowns for long periods of time. Rushing into the bath she danced in and out of the icy water. Making quick work of getting dressed, since she had learned working alone took a lot more time then if she had at least one other person to help. When she had her blue overalls over her red plaid shirt and her hair braided back she rushed to get her boots on. Just as she finished tying them a knock came to her door. She blinked a few times before getting up and opening the door.

"Hey Claire!" Rick appeared in the door way with a huge grin on his thin lips. He almost seemed to be jumping for joy. Taken a bit by surprise, Claire just stared at him. She should have been use to this, seeing as it seemed every other day Rick would stop by on his way to see Karen and complain about how she needs to buy a chicken, but she wasn't.

"Uh…hey Rick, and not I'm not buying a Chicken today…I don't have enough to buy one and buy feed at the same time." A soft chuckle came from him and it was then that Claire noticed Rick had his hands behind his back. "…What you got there?" she said nodding toward his arms.

"A late welcome gift for you!" Eyes widening a bit, Claire folded her arms and stared at him. He smiled shyly and bought his arms in front of him, a baby chick in his palms. The chick pecked the air around is as it's small, bubbly eyes looked around aimlessly. When it saw Claire it squawked and tried to walk off Rick's hands toward her. He caught it easily and pet it's head.

"Rick! Why would you give me one for free?"

"Because it wants to live here. Ever since this one hatched it's been trying to escape toward your farm, so I figured I'd give it to you and make both of you happy! I've even brought over enough feed for a week so by the end of the week you should be able to buy your own. And then in summer I'll show you how to make feed out of corn!" A week of fighting with him had taught Claire it was useless. She smiled slightly and took the chicken, petting from its head to its back with her ring finger. Rick smiled brightly and grabbed her wrist. He tugged her out of her house and toward the chicken coop on the other side of her farm.

"Rick watch it!" she yelled as she closed the door with her foot, trying to balance the chicken in her hand. She'd never seen Rick be quite _this_ forceful, but she didn't really care, it wasn't like he was going to hurt her. He was just excited. For a minute the grip of that man from the mountain echoed over her skin, making her gasp. That man had been strong, really strong, his grip was hard too…was it as hard as Ricks? She shook her head. She couldn't believe it could have been any of the guys from Mineral town. After all, why wouldn't they tell her if they saved her anyway?

When they got to the coop Rick was proud with her that the place was cleaned up. He put the feed in the dispenser and Claire let the chicken go on a patch of soft hay. Rick pulled her over to him and showed her how to get the feed in and out and how to lay it out for the chicken right. His guiding hands were experienced, he knew more about ranching then Claire thought. Seems behind that shy exterior was a brilliant and surprisingly strong young man. Claire admired that.

"Claire? Claire where are you?!" Yelling came from outside the coop. It sounded like Gary and Cliff. Claire turned around to go out to leave when she noticed Rick still had his hand tight around her wrist. She looked up at him and his eyes flared with hatred as he looked toward the window. The feeling disappeared quickly and he smiled, letting go of her.

"Guess that's enough for you to take care of her. Just don't forget to come by and ask me anything if you need me. Oh and what's her name?" Claire stared at him slightly suspiciously for a moment before rendering that he didn't mean anything by it, he could mean anything.

"I will make sure to visit you if I need some help. And I think I'll call her…Lali" Claire giggled and Rick joined in with a smirk. The two petted Lali and left the coop, being careful to lock to door. Rick stood close behind Claire as they walked back toward Claire's house. Looking in her window was Gary and Cliff. Claire laughed and waved at them. "Hey guys! Looking for something?" Both young men jumped slightly and turned around, a light blush on their cheeks.

"Hey, Claire. It's Thursday so I have off work, and when we left the inn to come bother you we ran into Doc. He wants us to bring you in for a checkup this afternoon." She stared at them then looked at her watch. It was just past seven.

"Anything else you two wanted?" She looked at them with a smirk. Cliff scratched the back of his head nervously. Gary didn't seem to hear her; he was staring at Rick behind her, who was smirking a glare back at him. Rick put a hand lightly on Claire's shoulder, so lightly she didn't seem to notice it was there. Gary's eyes widened slightly before his face flickered with grief for a mere moment.

"…uh yeah…we wanted to take you up on that offer for breakfast!" cliff said as he stared at Gary and then at Rick. His eyes blazed with suspicion. Claire's stomach growled and she realized she was hungry anyway. When she put a hand on her stomach she noticed Rick's hand. She turned to him.

"Uh, do you need anything else Rick?" She smiled joyfully.

"Nope! You three enjoy your breakfast; I've got to go before Karen yells at me!" He rushed off, showing an unkind smirk to Gary as he left. Gary glared after him.

"…okay then…anyway come on in guys! I've got some new recipes I've been trying so you two can be test tasters!" She spoke with an evil gleam in her eyes that made Cliff start to laugh as he nodded. The two headed into her house. She stopped at the door and turned to Gary. "Coming?"

"I'll be there in a minute…" He rushed off her farm and in the direction of Rick. As if waiting for him, there was Rick leaning against the street post on the path.

"Hey Gary." He said with a sly smile.

"Why were you alone with Claire?"

"Getting to the point fast, huh? Doesn't seem like you, Mister Hot Head." Gary's eyes flared with deep hatred as his fists curled so deeply that his fingers were tearing into his palms. Rick laughed. "Point proven. And wasn't it you that agreed with everyone when was all started talking about how Claire shouldn't be left alone?"

"Doesn't mean anyone should be left alone with her either."

"Then you and she should never be alone together."

"If you haven't noticed, dim wit, Cliff is usually around."

"Yeah, where is he now? For all you know Cliff could be the guy everyone's worried about."

"He's not."

"How do you know?"

"He was at Doc's until just before Claire showed up! he had twisted his ankle trying to help Carter clean up the grave yard."

"yeah? Where were you, then Gary?" Narrowing his eyes, Rick leaned toward him. Gary lost it. He swung his fist toward Rick's face. Cringing, Rick looked away. Gary's fist stopped just before hitting his cheek. Breathing heavily, Gary leaned toward Rick.

"Watch it, dim wit! I was at the inn that night, all night. Go ask your drunken girlfriend Karen! How bout you tell me where you where before my fist does more than just scare you!" Rick's glasses fell to the ground, one of the frames shattering upon the stone. He closed his eyes and took a step back, looking at Gary's now blurry figure.

"I was at home tending the chickens. So I guess it wasn't any of us." Gary stepped back and kicked the glasses into a bush.

"Guess not."

"Or was it?" Rick ran off, headed toward his home. Gary narrowed his eyes. Rick knew something no one else did, and Gary wanted to know just what he thought that was. Stomping on the left behind glasses, Gary turned and went back to Claire's farm.

Two days later Claire was surprised she hadn't seen Rick around. She was sure he was going to stop by and check up on Lali. Come to think of it, she hadn't seen Gary since after that breakfast. And a very awkward breast fast that was. When Gary had come back he was fuming. He wouldn't talk to Claire or Cliff and just brooded over his corn, which he eventually shoved over to Claire for her to eat. She was really hurt by that, though she didn't understand why. Maybe it was because he seemed to be mad at her. She didn't understand it. They didn't even go to the Doc's to see if she was alright. Gary said that it could wait since she seemed fine. Which she was all fore, since she didn't want to go anyway. Cliff came over every day, saying that Carter didn't have any work for him to do and that Stevie and May was keeping him company.

She was happy he was over. She felt lonelier than ever before lately. Maybe it was that dream. That man was her only thought now. She almost ruined her crops the other day because she was looking at the mountain from her fields. She needed to figure out who he was. If only she could remember. She just wanted one clue. One little piece of the puzzle that could help her figure out who he was.

With a sigh, Claire pushed the chair she was sitting in back and got up from her kitchen table. Looking at the clock on the wall over the oven she noticed it was just after six. Time didn't seem to want to move today. Looking around, there was nothing to do inside to keep her busy. She was already dressed, she could cook she guessed but she didn't know if anyone was going to show up today. Just then a knock came to her door. Half expecting it to be Rick, since he was the only one that had knocked on her door in a long time, she was surprised when she opened it and saw Cliff.

He smiled at her, his face quickly turning red. Wondering what was going on, she leaned against the side of her door frame and looked at him. Tilting her head to the side she saw a small red curve of a bow behind him. She cocked and eyebrow and wondered what that was.

"Uh…Claire …….do you know what….today is?" She thought for a minute.

"Saturday…?"

"Yeah…but…it's the 14….today is a special holiday in the village."

"Oh it is? I should look at my Calendar more often," they both laughed and she tilted back, looking at the dusty calendar on her wall next to her. It said today was the Spring Thanksgivings Festival. "What goes on today?" Looking back at cliff she noticed his face change to an even deeper shade of red.

"…today is when guys….give cookies to girls they admire…" Claire could feel her face getting hotter. Not because she was embarrassed that Cliff was standing in her door hiding something, but because she had been clueless as to it all and now it just seemed awkward. Before she could ask why he was there, Cliff looked down and held out a small wrapped box with a gorgeous red bow on it. Claire blinked a few times before slowly taking the box. She pulled at the ribbon and opened it. The delicious smell of fresh baked Chocolate Chip cookies reached her nose, making her mouth water a bit. When she turned to thank Cliff, he was gone. She chuckled and closed the door, whispering her thanks to the empty fields.

She sat on her couch and put the TV on. She didn't feel like working just yet, after all it wouldn't be too much work today since she just had watering and feeding to do. Eating some of the cookies she watched the TV Shopping channel. Maybe she'd buy a new dining table that could fit more than two people. She remembered that in order to do so she'd have to extend her kitchen, but she'd look into that later. It was about an hour and a half later when another knock came to her door. Cliff's cookies were long gone, and Claire was very sad about that seeing as they had been delicious. Throwing out the box, but stuffing the ribbon in her pocket, Claire opened the door. There stood Rick. He didn't have his glasses on so his eyes were and even brighter color and his hair seemed to have been cut over the past few days because it was slightly shorter but seemed more free as it glided around him in the wind. He smiled his bright smile at her when she opened the door.

"Long time no see, Claire! How's Lali?"

"Good. I was surprised when you didn't come to check up on her."

"Well I trust you. I know you'll take good care of your animals!"

"Yep I will. And she's very cute." They both laughed a little and Claire yawned a bit. Her laziness was starting to make her tired. "So is there anything I can do for you?" He smirked a bit and pulled a long blue wrapped box from the bag at his side.

"I cooked you these this morning. It took me a while to make the perfect batch, which is why I'm so late, but I hope you like them!" He handed her the box and she could already smell the cookies.

"Thanks, Rick!" She smiled and clung to the box. She decided right then and there that she loved this holiday. He laughed and waved as he started to walk away.

"Well I've got some work to do! I'll see you later!" She nodded and went back inside as he disappeared. Sitting down on her couch again, she flicked the channels on the TV till she found something good. Opening the box she saw Chocolate, Chocolate-Chip cookies. She sighed happily as she ate one. This was now the best holiday of her life.

The box was gone in about an hour and after another hour of being lazy Claire stood up. She poked her stomach and giggled.

"_Guess I should work before I get fat!"_

She headed outside and started to work in her field. She watered all the crops, getting rid of any weeds she noticed. When she was done she went to the Chicken Coop and spent some time with Lali. The little chicken was happy and bubbly as always, running around adamantly as if to entertain her. When she fed her, Claire hurried out. She didn't want Lali to follow her so whenever she feed her she would sneak out. Sitting at the edge of the river just outside the coop was her pup. She went over to him and pet him. The two sat there for a good hour, just staring at the water and the fish. When she looked at her watch and saw it was already four she jumped up and ran over to the apple tree with the bee hive. She gathered as much honey as she could and put it in the shipping bin for Zack. Turning, she saw her Mailbox open. Looking inside there was a note.

_ Sorry I didn't come by today, or lately for that matter….I'm not a very good cook, so I'll just give you this card with a picture of a cookie on it ;3_

_ ~Gary_

Claire busted into a fit of giggles as she read the note over, looking at the picture of a cookie under Gary's name. It was incredible cute and seemed totally out of Character for him. That was probably why he stuck it in her mail box and didn't just hand it to her. Smiling, she put it in her pocket with the ribbon from Cliff's cookies.

She turned to go inside and make dinner when her eyes caught the mountain. She looked at it longingly and thought back to that night. In the sky there wasn't a cloud in sight, it was the calmest of days. Closing her eyes she tried to fight back the temptation to go up the mountain again. When she opened her eyes again, thinking she had control over herself, she saw something moving on the mountain. Her eyes widened and before she could think about it she ran off her farm and into the forest. It took her longer to get to the mountain then she remembered. Part of her mind was still trying to get her to turn back and so it was sending her in a maze of trees. Finally she found the path to the mountain and gulped. She looked up it and wondered if she should really keep going.

Something shimmered a few feet up. Every time the wind blew there was a majestic sound and the glittering appearance of something on a close by ledge. Claire, interested in what it was, decided she'd only go as far as that object then turn back. She started to climb. The path much more steady now, but was still eroded from the fact that no one had climbed up since Claire's fall. But that was wrong, for after a few feet of climbing Claire's hand touched the destined imprint of a deep boot. A fresh print on the ground. A broad smile crossed Claire's lips and she started to climb faster. Finally after a half hour or so of climbing she found the ledge she was looking for. Sitting there was a hammer and a small pickaxe. From the side of the mountain there was a small hole that had a gleaming stone embedded in it. The stone was beautiful and Claire went to touch it. It was smooth and harshly cold. She looked at the equipment and realized who ever owned this probably lived close by, otherwise why would they leave it?

She decided to stay there in case someone came back for the equipment. She sat there for what seemed like hours waiting. Once she thought she heard something in the bushes below her but when she looked down all she saw was a squirrel running across the path below. Getting tired and hungry for some real food, she jumped down to the path below, leaving the hammer and pickaxe where she found it. She headed home, a little disappointed that she never found the mystery man. When she got to her door she was about to go inside, just then the little tab on her mail box, standing up saying something was inside, caught her attention. She went over and opened it, pulling out a box with a note attached to it. Blinking she walked into her house and locked to door. Sitting on the couch again, she took the note from the box first.

_ Dear Claire,_

_ You don't know me, but I know you. We've met, but you weren't…shall we say awake? Don't go around the mountain without someone with you. Who knows if I'll be nearby next time. This will sound strange, but I've been keeping an eye over you since I brought you back to the village. Someday, perhaps you'll figure out who I am. Until then, I hope you like my gift to you, this Spring Thanksgivings Festival. I don't have the means of getting things for cooking, but I do that the means to make this…here's hoping you like it._

_ Best wishes,_

_ Your Secret~_

Claire read the letter over and over. With a longing sigh, she held the letter close. Finally, still clinging to the letter, she opened the box. Gasping, her eyes growing wide, she looked at what lay inside. Surrounded by a velvet cloth, was a gold chained chocker necklace with the same jewel that Claire had seen on the mountain carved into the shape of a heart. Claire chocked up. She'd never seen something so beautiful, and she definitely never thought she'd own something like that. Looking at the box, there was another, smaller note.

_ P.S. This Chocker is more than it appears. Over time, its little secrets will show themselves._


End file.
